“Just because you are high achieving doesn’t mean you aren’t underachieving.”
ADHD (attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder) is a common and treatable condition that affects people of all ages.
In boys, ADHD often presents with school behavior problems such as lack of focus in the classroom, impulsive and disruptive behavior, demonstrating a bad attitude towards teachers and peers, clowning around, and getting along poorly with peers which may annoy other children and lead to social ostracism.
In girls, ADHD often presents more subtly with spaciness, lack of focus or academic underachievement. This may be hard to detect in brighter students because they may be able to keep up with their schoolwork despite falling short of their even higher potential.
Sometimes ADHD resolves in childhood and sometimes it persists into adulthood. In adults, ADHD symptoms shift away from hyperactivity and more towards inattention. Adults with ADHD may notice that their life is disrupted by moodiness, work difficulties, disorganization (missing appointments, losing personal items), inability to unwind, impulsive decision-making, and forgetfulness. This can lead to low self-esteem.
At all ages, the mainstay of treatment for ADHD is medication. Coaching or counseling also plays an important role. The first line medications for ADHD are Adderall, Ritalin and their derivatives, and they help patients calm down, focus and stay organized. For patients who do not get satisfactory results from these medications, there is a wide range of additional choices. We also offer guidance on the use of nutritional supplements in ADHD.
The disruptions that people with ADHD suffer from can lead to anxiety, depression and relationship problems. We offer help with these commonly co-occurring conditions as well.